Keep on reading to find out what both platforms are like, how you can use them in your B2B content marketing efforts and why you might want to go with one over the other.

As a B2B content marketer, I use both

I’ve been on both sites for four years, so I’m pretty well placed to tell you what they’re like, how you can use them for B2B content marketing (and how you shouldn’t), and why you might go with one over the other.

Full disclosure: I use reddit a lot more than Quora and I was once a moderator of a large subreddit (like an online forum). This is not to say that reddit is better for B2B marketers; I just mainly have a Quora account so I can fully view site content.

The differences between reddit and Quora

reddit is made up of subreddits: communities of users (known as redditors) who discuss a particular topic or post content around a particular topic, with threads and replies. Quora has questions and answers, and a slightly hidden blogging feature.

Subreddits are communities of users on reddit and each subreddit has a particular focus. So /r/Games is about videogames and /r/scifi is about science fiction.

Both platforms have the possibility to help with your content marketing efforts.

But what are the other main differences between the two sites?

(Click on image for a larger view.)

(What’s “astroturfing”? Check out this definition over on TechTarget.)

While there are many similarities between the two platforms, as you can see from this table there are a lot of differences too.

What could a B2B marketer use reddit for? (hint: it’s NOT promoting your own content)

There are many articles, blog posts, that describe how to use reddit to gain web traffic. Almost all of them involve concealing that you’re a marketer while doing this. They say you should embed yourself within reddit and in subreddits relevant to your business in order to build up a reputation as a “genuine poster” and then start to promote your business.

Do not do this.

What those articles don’t really mention is the fact that if you are found out, all that hard work you put into pretending to be genuine will have been for nothing and your brand’s reputation tarnished.

redditors expect extreme transparency and authenticity from advertisers. Spam and hard selling aren’t tolerated and using either tactic will damage your brand’s reputation.

It doesn’t matter how awesome your content is. You can’t approach reddit the same way that you do Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. If you jump in and submit content blindly, you could find yourself banned or your websites blacklisted.

Despite all this, paid-for ads that link to your content are perfectly acceptable. Why? Because you’re being honest that you’re marketing something.

So what should a B2B marketer use reddit for?

Outside of content promotion or starting a subreddit specifically for your brand?

You should use reddit for finding out about part of your audience.

I say part, because the users of reddit are, anecdotally, incredibly skewed towards a particular demographic (white, straight men who are under 40). But for B2B marketers looking to find out more about everyone from end-users to senior decision-makers, there are subreddits on almost anything related to industry and business.

Can you try posting on reddit?

You have to be really careful about posting to reddit and linking to your brand in any way. When reddit advises you to “tread carefully” they really mean it.

If you decide to post, do as SocialMediaExaminer advises:

Submit appropriate content, provide insightful answers, ask questions related to your industry and respond to people who engage with you.

So what do you use Quora for?

Well, you use it to be yourself.

A lot of what you would do with Quora you could do with reddit. But Quora encourages you to be yourself:

Having profiles that are meant to be based on who you are gives Quora an edge that reddit doesn’t: Quora gives you a true public face as a user. This means you can do a lot more, because you can be honest about who you are from the start and build up a reputation that you can use to your brand’s benefit.

Quora is essentially a place where you can build a reputation as a thought leader and gently tie this back to your brand. This includes linking back to your existing content in answers when it’s relevant to do so.

We’ve even seen clients’ contributions to Quora discussions being quoted in the media, so it can be valuable from a PR point of view, as well. (As long as you’re saying something you’d be happy to see quoted!)

What about Quora’s blogging feature?

The blog feature is not nearly as prominent as some other self-publishing platforms, like LinkedIn’s Pulse. However, if you’re looking for somewhere you can atomise and reuse content then it has potential and helps to build up the authority of your Quora profile when people check it out.

reddit v Quora: which do you pick?

Like any online platform, the first part of looking into its marketing benefits is finding out whether your audience is there. If your audience isn’t on reddit or Quora, then you shouldn’t waste your time on the platforms, because they won’t help you bolster your marketing efforts.

But if your audience is on both and you only have time for one?

Then decide if you want a public profile or an anonymous profile.

Public brand building? Choose Quora.

Anonymous information gathering? Go with reddit.

But above all, remember: spam is not your friend.

(I don’t know if David is any less terrified of reddit after reading this post.)